


Operation T.R.I.F.E.C.T.A.

by AmalgamationZ



Category: Codename: Kids Next Door
Genre: Action/Adventure, Espionage, Gen, Prequel, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:08:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23895835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmalgamationZ/pseuds/AmalgamationZ
Summary: Starting loosely around Codename KND: Season 1, the series follows a trio of capable operatives, who undergo and evolve through many trials and tribulations before ascending to greater heights. From dangerous, mysterious traitors to massive global conflicts, these three will be responsible for inciting a new chapter in the Kids Next Door and inspiring a whole generation of KND operatives.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

Codename Kids Next Door

Operation T.R.I.F.E.C.T.A.

Three

Really

Ingenious

Figures

Eventually

Come

To

Ascend

 **Disclaimer: Codename Kids Next Door is a show** **created** **by Tom Wa** **r** **burton and owned by Cartoon Network.** **I don't own any characters, settings,** **and other intellectual property** **from** **the show** **.**

Chapter 1

"You are not registered in our records as an authorized vehicle. Please enter the hangar bay while a team of operatives comes down to inspect your ship," Numbuh 20,000 announced over a communicator.

An old Kids Next Door submarine surfaced in the hangar of the KND Deep Sea Lab. Motioning toward the ship, Numbuh 20,000 told three other security guards to inspect the ship for intruders.

"It looks pretty old to me," one of them said as he made his way down.

"Who's driving that piece of junk?" another guard said.

"Come on, it's not like anything's gonna happen. It's probably Numbuh 13. He's so stupid he doesn't even know how to register a ship," the third one said.

As they made their way to the hangar, they put on hazmat suits, ready to decontaminate and check any operatives intending to enter the laboratories. As they entered the area, the hatch to the submarine opened.

"Alright, name your operative number, sector, and- Hey! Why are you pointing that at-"

Suddenly, the three were shot down by a cloaked figure. It quickly exited the submarine and dashed toward the laboratories inside. Numbuh 20,000, seeing this, immediately pressed the emergency button. The blast doors to the labs slammed shut, and emergency alarms blared throughout the treehouse.

Numbuh 20,000, grabbing a M.U.S.K.E.T. from the wall, aimed to shoot at the figure, only to notice that it was gone.

Before Numbuh 20,000 could do anything, someone kicked him into the wall. Losing his weapon, Numbuh 20,000 looked in horror at the figure now standing before him.

"Unlock the doors, now!" the figure said with a deep voice.

"N- No way! I'm not letting people like you enter!"

"I wasn't asking…" the figure said as he pulled out a S.P.I.C.E.R. gun.

"No! No! Please!" Numbuh 20,000 cried.

"Then let me in, before I pull the trigger!"

* * *

The KND scientists were working on a way to rapidly decompose broccoli when the emergency alarms sounded. The scientists ran around screaming as the blast doors closed. Every scientist ran toward whatever escape pods they could find as one of the head scientists, Numbuh 74.239, tried to keep them calm.

"Stop screaming like a bunch of hyenas and stay calm! At least tie your shoelaces!" Numbuh 74.239 said.

"Numbuh 74.239, what's happening?" a scientist asked.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, stop panicking! You'll only make things worse!"

"I'm so scared! I wish the emergency stopped right now!"

"That's not how emergencies work, you single-celled moron! Now get yourself to the escape pods and-"

Suddenly, the alarms stopped ringing. The blast doors slowly opened up. Everyone stopped in silence, confused as to what happened.

"Wh- Why did the emergency alarm stop?" Numbuh 74.239 asked.

Suddenly, a security operative ran into the room.

"Everyone! Run for your lives! It's _him_!"

The scientists gasped in shock. They ran around again, panicking. Numbuh 74.239 grabbed one of the scientists by the sleeve.

"You! Call Moonbase command to get some reinforcements here, now!" Numbuh 74.239 said.

"I'm on it!" the scientist said as he ran away.

Numbuh 74.239 then ran from the room as the doors behind him exploded. Checking his inner lab pocket, he ran through every corridor he could find. As he went around each corner, several operatives moved to contain the intruder.

"Don't! You'll never win against him!" Numbuh 74.239 said.

"What are you talking about? Is it some stupid adult?" one of the operatives replied as he went back to fight the intruder.

Numbuh 74.239 had to keep running. As he continued, he heard the terrified screams of the operatives behind him. Knowing that _he_ was about to come, Numbuh 74.239 figured there was only one option left: secure a briefcase that held one of the most precious and secret items the Deep Sea Lab contained. Running out of breath, he looked around, hoping the briefcase room was nearby.

Suddenly, something grabbed him by the shoulder. Numbuh 74.239 turned and screamed in horror. A figure cloaked in all black clothing, a strainer helmet, and a purple mask stood before Numbuh 74.239. He held a S.P.I.C.E.R. gun up to Numbuh 74.239's head.

"N- Numbuh 206?" Numbuh 74.239 squealed.

"Where is it, nerd?" Numbuh 206 asked.

"Wh- What are you talking about?"

"In the Deep Sea Lab, there's a secret briefcase that holds something you concocted with your snot-nosed friends. I know what's in it, and I need it now."

"You think I'd give it away that easily?"

"Why not? I have you at gunpoint right now!"

"Without it, kids everywhere won't ever be happy again! Heck, it's something I can't even live without!"

"You think I care? Hand it over right now, or else."

"No way!"

Instantly, Numbuh 206 pulled out some sort of detonator.

"It's a shame, then, that I have to use this," Numbuh 206 said.

"Wh- What is that?" Numbuh 74.239 asked.

"I strapped some explosives to a certain chamber in the Deep Sea Lab."

"Which one?"

"The one that contains Patient C."

"What? NO! Don't do it!"

"Then squeal, before I press the button."

Numbuh 74.239 stayed silent, sweating nervously.

"Well then, if you're not going to give me the briefcase, then I'm gonna press the button. You can say goodbye to your health once I-"

"NO! Okay, okay, I'll give you the key to the briefcase!"

"Give it to me, now."

Numbuh 74.239 reached into his inner shirt pocket. He took out a red and black keycard and gave it to Numbuh 206.

"Good. Now why don't you take a look at this?"

"Huh?"

Before Numbuh 74.239 could say anything else, Numbuh 206 stuck a circular device on Numbuh 74.239. The device put him to sleep as he fell to the ground. Numbuh 206 then began looking around for the room that contained the briefcase. It wasn't long before he came across a door that said, "Do Not Enter," with a box on the wall containing a keycard slot.

"Finally, it'll be mine," Numbuh 206 said gleefully.

The room opened, revealing a rather small space. Tables and chairs were lined neatly, along with blueprints and formulas etched on the walls. In the center, the briefcase was raised on a pedestal, as if on display in a clothing store.

"Now, to find an escape pod."

After swiping the briefcase for himself, Numbuh 206 began looking for an escape pod room. The signs had changed since he last visited here. No matter, he thought, he'll find the place.

He dashed through every corridor and hallway, trying to recall any steps he took during his last visit. Hiding from scientists running through the halls, Numbuh 206 slowly made his way around the Deep Sea Lab.

After about ten minutes, he noticed a sign that said, "Escape Pods," pointing to a room to his right. Walking toward the door, Numbuh 206 heard an argument going on inside.

"No! I get to use it because I have seniority!"

"What? I've invented more things than you ever did!"

"Shut up! Both of you are incompetent idiots compared to me! Now let me through before Numbuh 206-"

Numbuh 206 opened the door, with all three scientists looking at Numbuh 206. All three of them screamed in horror as he fired his S.P.I.C.E.R. at them.

"This is too easy," Numbuh 206 said as he walked past the groaning scientists lying on the floor, holstering his weapon.

He took a quick look around the room. Wooden crates were scattered all around. The sides of the escape pod room were lined with entrances to escape pods. Or at least, they would have been if most of the KND scientists hadn't taken them. On the far end of the room, Numbuh 206 saw one last escape pod.

 _Splendid_ , he thought. From what he remembered, these escape pods were made so that they couldn't be detected under radar. If there was one thing that the Kids Next Door scientists did right, it was this.

Setting down the briefcase, Numbuh 206 began typing into the console of the escape pod, prepping it for launch. As the hatch door slowly opened, Numbuh 206 slipped the briefcase into the escape pod. He put his foot in, ready to board.

Then, he felt something, as though someone was watching him.

Exiting the escape pod, Numbuh 206 looked behind him. Other than the scientists groaning on the floor, all he saw were wooden crates and an open door. It seemed like no one else was in the room besides him and the scientists.

But Numbuh 206 knew better. He immediately drew his weapon, pointing it at one of the scientists.

"I know you're behind those boxes. Show yourself, or I'll splatter one of these nerds," Numbuh 206 said.

There was no response.

"You better get out on the count of three, or I'm pulling the trigger. One, two, thr-"

A figure emerged from the shadows. It was a young, blonde-haired girl, wearing a purple-brownish shirt and pants and holding a B.O.T.T.L.E.C.A.P. gun.

"So it's you, Numbuh 362."

Numbuh 362 gave no response, glaring at him and pacing around the room. Numbuh 206 did the same, holding his S.P.I.C.E.R. gun tightly.

"I've heard a lot of things about you, like how you uncovered the coordinates of one of the biggest broccoli factories on the planet. But this is the first time I've met you in person. I have to say, you've got some talent," Numbuh 206 said.

"Quit it, Numbuh 206. I'm here to stop you," Numbuh 362 replied.

"Stop me? Ha! You'll never stop me. I'm one of the best combat operatives in this entire organization, and you know it! You're nothing compared to me."

"We'll see about that, traitor."

Numbuh 206 fired at Numbuh 362. Dodging the shots, Numbuh 362 fired several more shots toward Numbuh 206. He ran toward cover as Numbuh 362 continued to shoot at him. From his pockets, Numbuh 206 took out two M.A.R.B.L.E.S., throwing them toward Numbuh 362. She quickly jumped to the side as the two objects exploded behind her, scattering wooden planks around the room.

Numbuh 362 tried to shoot the escape pod console, hoping to disable it, but Numbuh 206 emerged from cover and shot the B.O.T.T.L.E.C.A.P. out of her hands. Numbuh 362 quickly grabbed one of the wooden planks from the ground and protected herself from some of the incoming blasts.

"Give up, Numbuh 362. You won't win!" Numbuh 206 shouted.

"Never!" Numbuh 362 said as she threw the plank at Numbuh 206. It knocked the S.P.I.C.E.R. out of his hands. Before he could pick it back up, Numbuh 206 saw Numbuh 362 charging toward him.

Raising his fists, he effortlessly parried every blow Numbuh 362 tried to land. She gave it her all, throwing every punch and kick she could at him, but he was too quick.

"My turn," he said.

Numbuh 206 quickly ducked and swiped at Numbuh 362's leg. She immediately lost balance and fell on her back. Numbuh 206 tried to stomp on her, but she immediately rolled to the side, narrowly escaping his foot. Small cracks in the ground appeared as his foot made contact with the ground.

Getting back up, Numbuh 362 raised her guard as he threw precise punches and kicks toward her. Although she could block some of the blows, others landed on her, each one more painful than the last. She couldn't keep this up for long.

In a last-ditch effort to counterattack him, Numbuh 362 threw a hard right toward Numbuh 206. However, he quickly grabbed her fist and sent a powerful kick to her stomach, sending her flying toward the wall. Numbuh 362 grunted in pain when her back hit the wall behind her. She fell to the ground, clutching her stomach as her body writhed in pain.

Numbuh 206 then dashed to the escape pod.

"Not bad, Numbuh 362, you managed to give me some trouble. But next time, I'll be ready to kick your butt faster! Oh and by the way, good luck trying to track me down in this pod," he said laughing.

Grabbing the B.O.T.T.L.E.C.A.P gun on the floor, she tried to shoot at Numbuh 206, but it was too late. Numbuh 206 closed the door to the escape pod, launching him far, far away from the Deep Sea Lab. Numbuh 362 laid her head down in defeat.

A pair of voices echoed throughout the corridors as the sound of footsteps came closer toward the room.

"Where did she go?"

"I think she went this way. Try checking this door, Numbuh 60."

A black-haired boy with a green shirt, brown pants, and combat boots entered the room, wielding two small M.U.S.K.E.T.s. He carefully walked around the room.

"Where could she be?" he asked. He then saw Numbuh 362 and some scientists lying on the ground.

"What happened? 86, get in here, now!"

A red-haired girl wearing a green shirt, orange skirt, and a nurse cap came into the room. Seeing Numbuh 362 lying on the ground, she gasped in horror. She quickly ran toward her.

"Are you okay, Numbuh 362?" Numbuh 86 asked as she helped her up.

"I could be worse," Numbuh 362 replied weakly.

"Darn that traitor. If I were here, I could kick his butt all the way back to the Arctic Base Prison!" Numbuh 60 said. "He really did a number on you, didn't he?"

"Yup," Numbuh 362 replied.

"86, get some more help for the scientists. I'll make sure 362's okay," Numbuh 60 said.

"Fanny, do you have any more ice packs?" Numbuh 362 asked.

"We don't have any more right now, but I'll get you some more," Numbuh 86 replied as she left the room.

"Darn. I could really use one of those right now."

* * *

Numerous KND nurses entered the room, transporting the scientists away. Along with the nurses was Numbuh 86, who returned with an ice pack as requested.

"Finally. Thanks, Fanny," Numbuh 362 said.

Taking the ice pack, Numbuh 362 immediately applied it to her bruises. She sighed in relief as the cold helped numb the pain.

"You're really brave, Numbuh 362, for taking him on alone," Numbuh 86 said. The three operatives began making their way back to the main laboratory area, with Numbuh 362 leaning on Numbuh 86 along the way.

"About that," Numbuh 60 asked, "why did you go without us?"

"I wanted to try to catch him before he escaped," Numbuh 362 replied.

"But if you went with both of us, we could've taken him on," Numbuh 60 said.

"Even then, I don't think we could've won, and anyway he was about to escape."

"Alright then. Just be careful next time."

Soon, the three operatives entered the main laboratory area, where dozens of scientists and mechanics were fixing the equipment. In the center of the room, Numbuh 274 was supervising the rescue operation. Turning his head, Numbuh 274 saw the three operatives move toward him. They stopped and saluted him.

"Numbuh 274, sir!" the three said in unison.

"At ease."

The three stopped saluting.

"Status report, Numbuh 60, 86, and 362."

"Other than Numbuh 206, no signs of other traitors have been found, sir," Numbuh 60 said.

"All the scientists are being cared for by several medical teams, sir," Numbuh 86 said.

"But unfortunately, Numbuh 206 managed to escape with the super secret briefcase, sir," Numbuh 362 said.

"Drats," Numbuh 274 said as he hid the palm of his hand with his fist. He then noticed the ice pack in Numbuh 362's hand.

"What happened, Numbuh 362? Did you fight him?"

"Yes sir."

"Well, thank goodness you made it out. Most operatives don't even stand a chance against him."

"Maybe if we have another chance, we could get him, sir."

"You mean you're going at him again? No way, Numbuh 362, I'm not letting you go that quickly. You're covered in bruises. Besides, based on what we know, he's probably getting more goons on his side, and then he'll beat-"

"The briefcase!"

Suddenly, Numbuh 74.239 ran into the room, screaming.

"My briefcase! My super-secret briefcase! Now I'm ruined!" he screamed.

"Since you're here, Numbuh 74.239, what was even in the briefcase anyway?" Numbuh 274 asked.

"It- It was the most precious thing I had in my time at Earth, and now I'm never going to get it back!"

"Spit it out, 74.239. What was it?"

"MY NACHO CHEESE!"

The room went completely quiet as a look of confusion appeared on Numbuh 274's face.

"...Nacho cheese?"

"What do you mean, 'NaChO cHeEsE?' It's the most important thing since sliced-"

"You're telling me you spent valuable Kids Next Door resources and personnel and called down the Moonbase rescue team, just for some nacho cheese?"

"It's not just _any_ nacho cheese, Numbuh 274 sir," a nearby scientist explained. "For months, we concocted something that will benefit kids everywhere: a supply of nacho cheese that can self-replicate at the user's will. The formula, as well as samples, were all in the briefcase, and now Numbuh 206 took it all!"

"Infinite nacho cheese? Wait a minute, when did I ever approve this project?" Numbuh 274 asked.

"You approved it three months ago, sir, when you visited our Deep Sea Lab."

"That's what the project was about? I thought it was about finding a way to permanently decompose broccoli sources in a matter of seconds. I never approved a nacho cheese project!"

"Well, technically you did, sir," Numbuh 74.239 said. "We had fine print at the end of the approval form saying that funds could be used towards other projects, such as infinite nacho cheese and-"

"Enough! Just go to the other room! I'll talk to you both later."

"Yes sir!" the two scientists whimpered as they scampered away.

"Ugh," Numbuh 274 sighed as he squeezed the bridge of his nose. "I can't even trust him."

Suddenly, an idea came to Numbuh 362.

"Numbuh 274, sir, can I offer a suggestion?" Numbuh 362 asked.

"Sure, why not?"

"Numbuh 206 knew that he was coming for nacho cheese, right?"

"Yeah."

"And we can guess he's been gathering allies for something big, right?"

"True, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Sir, what if Numbuh 206 is planning to use the infinite nacho cheese as payment to someone else, in exchange for loyalty?"

"But who would accept nacho cheese as payment? And also, does Numbuh 206 know someone who has an entire army at their disposal and really loves cheesy-"

Numbuh 274 stopped.

"Permission to pursue our target, Numbuh 274 sir? I know where to look," Numbuh 362 asked.

"Not yet, Numbuh 362. We've got to have a plan ready. Who knows how many ninjas are in the temple," Numbuh 274 replied.

"Ninjas? Temples?" Numbuh 86 asked.

"Who are we talking about?" Numbuh 60 asked.

Turning to the other two operatives, Numbuh 274 looked them squarely in the eyes and said:

"Shogun Roquefort."

END TRANSMISSION


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The full moon illuminated the suburban town below. House after house, each family turned off their lights, ready to sleep for another day of work.

For one man, though, he wasn't intent on going to sleep.

Gazing from a grand temple in a nearby mountain range, Shogun Roquefort stood in silent contemplation. For the past year, he and his cheese ninjas had constructed and fortified a grand cheese temple. From there, he raided towns and expanded his growing empire. Thanks to the efforts of his cheese ninjas, Roquefort had acquired a substantial amount of cheese, a treasure he considered worth more than gold.

As local towns and shops began running out of tribute, he expanded his reach, recruiting more and more cheese ninjas and fortifying his positions. At this point, few threats stood any chance before him.

A cheese ninja entered the room.

"My liege, a stranger wishes to speak to you," he said.

"At this hour? Send the peasant away," Roquefort said.

"He says he brings something valuable to you."

"...Very well, let him in. Perhaps he is bringing tribute."

As the temple doors opened, Roquefort sat upon his cheese throne, wondering who would dare to come before him on his own time. Soon, an escort of cheese ninjas brought in a figure wearing all black clothing, holding a briefcase.

"Who are you supposed to be?" Roquefort asked.

"Most excellent Shogun, you can refer to me as Numbuh 206. I am a former member of a secret organization that is known as the Kids Next Door."

"Kids Next Door… Isn't that the organization that sends snot-nosed brats to fight 'adult tyranny'?"

"Yes, the very same."

"Then I have no interest in anything you have to say. Your squabbles are of no concern to me. Guards, escort him out."

The cheese ninjas started moving to take Numbuh 206 out of the temple.

"Then it's a shame, O great Shogun, that I have to take _this_ back."

Numbuh 206 raised the briefcase high in the air. The cheese ninjas stopped and looked at each other, confused.

"What are you offering me?" Shogun Roquefort asked.

"You have a great desire for cheese, correct?" Numbuh 206 asked.

"Are you offering me pieces of cheese?"

"Even better."

Numbuh 206 opened the briefcase. Inside the briefcase were a large rectangular remote and a few vials of nacho cheese.

"Shogun Roquefort, may I have a bowl to demonstrate how this machine works?" Numbuh 206 asked.

"You, with the cheese grater, fetch him a bowl."

Running to the side of the room, a cheese ninja took out a metal bowl and set it on the ground. Numbuh 206 walked over to it, carrying the remote and one of the vials. Opening it, he poured out the nacho cheese, which barely covered the bottom of the metal bowl. He then adjusted some settings on the remote and pointed it toward the liquid.

"Now, let's see what happens," Numbuh 206 said.

He turned on the remote. It immediately sent a brilliant surge of energy into the bowl. The cheese ninjas and Roquefort covered their eyes, blinded by immense light. After the light subsided, everyone looked in anticipation. For a few moments, nothing had happened. Then, the bowl began rumbling, and suddenly nacho cheese sprung out of the bowl like a water spring. The cheese ninjas looked in awe, then began cheering.

"What is this miraculous device?" Roquefort asked.

"Great Shogun, if there is only one thing snot-nosed brats are good for, it is creating this: a device that can multiply the amount of nacho cheese. With this, you will never run out of nacho cheese."

"Amazing! Now, if you could just hand it over, that would be-"

"I'll gladly let you use this device, in exchange for an alliance."

"An alliance? What for?"

"To eliminate the Kids Next Door organization."

"Why do you need my services? In fact, what's stopping me from taking it from you right now?"

"Well, why don't you try operating it yourself, then?"

* * *

Above the temple roofs, a S.C.A.M.P.E.R. silently hovered closer and closer.

"We've arrived at the cheese temple," the pilot said.

"Did you activate the cloaking device, Numbuh 35?" Numbuh 362 asked.

"No radar should detect us now."

"Good. Sector V's 2x4 tech officer really is a genius. Too bad it only lasts for about an hour."

"Just one question, sir, are you sure your bruises are okay?"

"I'll be fine. Fanny was able to heal some of them before we took off."

"Very well."

Numbuh 362 then turned to the other two operatives in the ship: Numbuh 60 and Numbuh 86.

"Alright, let's go through the plan one last time. First, we'll land on the roof and find the room he's located in. Patton, do you have the scanning device?" Numbuh 362 asked, turning to Numbuh 60.

"Yeah, it's all set and ready for use," Numbuh 60 said.

"Good. Next, we're going to find out what Numbuh 206 is up to. Up until now, we've only heard rumors that he was gathering some goons for something big, but we need more information on him. That's why Patton and I are going to place a recording device near the throne room, wherever the scan says it is. Fanny, you'll be tracking the movements of every enemy in the temple, and letting us know where to go. Got it?" Numbuh 362 asked, turning to Numbuh 86.

"Got it, but, do we have to land on the roof?" Numbuh 86 replied.

"It's the only way, Fanny," Numbuh 362 said. "Going to the front or back might get us caught."

Numbuh 35 pressed several switches before putting his hand on a nearby lever.

"Numbuh 362, 86, 60, the hatch door is opening."

The hatch door opened. Three ropes dropped from the ship. Slowly, the three operatives made their way down toward the topmost roof. Each operative carried an extendable rope harness, 2x4 weapons, and a backpack filled with various equipment and an emergency parachute.

"It's so high up!" Numbuh 86 cried.

"Be quiet, Numbuh 86, and stop whining," Numbuh 60 whispered.

"Don't worry about it, Fanny. You've got a harness and a parachute just in case," Numbuh 362 said. "Just be careful, and don't look down."

Numbuh 86 proceeded to look down, briefly squealing in fear.

"Ugh. Do we have to bring her on the mission?" Numbuh 60 asked.

"She's the one giving us directions, Patton. Besides, just wait until you get a cut on your arm."

Numbuh 362 was the first to land onto the rooftop. Numbuh 60 followed, landing right behind Numbuh 362. Numbuh 86 was the last to touch down.

"Numbuh 35, we've landed on the rooftop," she said over the radio.

"Copy that, Numbuh 362. Good luck! I'll be ready for your signal."

The S.C.A.M.P.E.R. retracted its ropes, slowly ascending a few feet before taking off.

Once the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. was gone, Numbuh 362 motioned to Numbuh 60 for the scanning equipment. Patton nodded, rummaging through his backpack until he found a tripod with a small box on it. Placing the device on the roof, Numbuh 362 signaled Numbuh 86 to begin scanning the temple. Numbuh 86 pulled out a rectangular tablet from her backpack, fiddling with the controls of the tablet to begin creating virtual schematics of the temple. After about a few minutes, the tablet finished loading the schematics.

TARGET FOUND, the tablet typed.

"It's ready, Numbuh 362," Numbuh 86 said. "It says that the throne room is six floors down."

"Alright then. You stay here and give directions over the communicator," Numbuh 362 said. "Ready, Patton?"

"Always," Numbuh 60 replied.

Numbuh 362 slowly moved toward the corner of the rooftop. Looking down, she saw another rooftop fifteen feet below her, but slightly slanted. Attaching her harness to the side of the roof, Numbuh 362 lowered herself onto the slanted rooftop. Numbuh 60 followed, softly landing on the rooftop.

"What's your plan, Numbuh 362?" Patton asked, looking down.

"The roof may be slanted, but the tiles pop up like ledges. When we go down, attach my harness to the roof, then make your way to the edge and repeat. That way, you won't slide down."

"Got it."

Numbuh 362 detached her harness, giving it to Numbuh 60. He proceeded to place the harness on the roof, giving her a thumbs up. Numbuh 362 then slowly made her way down the roof until she reached the edge. Looking at Patton, she signaled for him to come down.

They continued like this for five more roofs, eventually landing and stopping to check with Numbuh 86.

"Numbuh 86, are we there yet?" Numbuh 60 asked.

"You're there," Numbuh 86 said. "There should be a small window that leads to some sort of storage room. Then, if you go out, there should be a system of hallways inside."

"That window?" Numbuh 60 said, walking to and pointing at a small window. It had two small iron bars in the opening, with a dark storage room inside.

"That one!" Numbuh 86 exclaimed.

"Alright then, we're going in," Numbuh 362 said.

Taking out a small, sharp tool, Patton slowly cut through the iron bars in the window. He and Numbuh 362 then proceeded to enter the opening.

"Left or right, Fanny?" Numbuh 362 asked.

"Right."

* * *

"Try that button," Shogun Roquefort said.

Two cheese ninjas pressed another button before pointing the remote at the nacho cheese again. They activated the remote, but nothing except for thin smoke came out. Seeing this stupidity ensue, Numbuh 206 facepalmed himself.

"Shogun Roquefort, I will say this again: only I and the Kids Next Door know how to operate this device. And surely you don't want the Kids Next Door to get their filthy hands on this precious treasure, do you?" Numbuh 206 asked.

Shogun Roquefort contemplated. Through trial and error, he tried to figure out the device, but for some reason, couldn't. There was no use in taking the device for himself, he thought, so he decided to humor Numbuh 206 and his proposal.

"Very well, Numbuh 206. Guards, hand him back the contraption. And clean up this room."

The cheese ninjas gave the remote back to Numbuh 206, then removed the bowl from the room.

"Thank you. Now, to finally answer your first question, Shogun Roquefort, I have some beef with the Kids Next Door I need settled. I was one of their best operatives, but I was scheduled to be decommissioned at the age of 13, meaning that I'd have all my memories of the Kids Next Door wiped away from me. Luckily, I managed to escape, with the help of some secret moles in the Kids Next Door.

"Up until now, I've been sabotaging the Kids Next Door in almost everything they do, and I've built a reputation among those idiotic brats, to the point where they're afraid to even face me. There's only one problem: Numbuh 274, the accursed leader of the organization, started chasing me down by organizing together a strike team of three of his lackeys: Numbuh 60, Numbuh 86, and Numbuh 362."

"Just three kids? That's what you're concerned about?" Roquefort asked.

"Sure, three kids are nothing, except they're the only ones willing to stand up to me. Nearly every other Kids Next Door operative is scared to even face me. Even the members of the decommissioning squad, the team responsible for trying to catch me, are dragging their feet, either because they're scared of me, or they don't know where I'll go next. Or both. Yet these three are going out of their way to pursue me, despite the odds. The moment they're remotely successful, the Kids Next Door will get a morale boost, and then it's game over for me."

"So what do I have to do with this?"

"This is where I need your help, great Shogun. Although I have some allies at my disposal, I need a fighting force with unparalleled combat skills. I've heard tales of your ninjas, how you successfully expanded your empire with strength and fear. Do they live up to their reputation?"

"How about I show you, rather than telling you?"

Shogun Roquefort clapped his hands, summoning ten cheese ninjas in front of him.

"Move back a little, Numbuh 206. They're about to show you a splendid demonstration."

As Numbuh 206 stepped back, the ten cheese ninjas stood tall, yelling a war cry. They quickly shuffled themselves into a line formation in the blink of an eye. Numbuh 206 rubbed his chin, curious to see their capabilities. They then slowly spread out, forming a checkerboard pattern along the throne room's floor. The ninjas unsheathed their weapons, which included cheese graters, wrenches, lassos, and katanas.

"Begin, my warriors!" Roquefort shouted.

The cheese ninjas immediately began dueling with each other, with the sound of crashing metal and footsteps echoing throughout the throne room. Short bursts of yellow light emanated from each of the ninjas as they dashed all around the room, fighting with amazing speed and precision. Numbuh 206 raised his eyebrows, intrigued even further.

"Enough!" Shogun Roquefort bellowed.

The ten cheese ninjas returned to a line formation, standing completely still and tall. Impressed, Numbuh 206 began clapping.

"Bravo, Shogun Roquefort. I guess your soldiers do live up to their reputation," Numbuh 206 said.

"I wouldn't have expanded so far without the might of my elite ninjas," Roquefort replied. "Not only are they superb warriors, but also excellent builders. They are able to create all sorts of siege equipment, fortresses, and much more. In fact, they are responsible for building this grand temple, although some of them said they would go and finish the roof tonight."

* * *

"Left," Numbuh 86 said over the communicator.

In her screen, she looked at two blue dots walking through a maze of hallways, with red dots scattered throughout. She wondered why Roquefort would make such a complicated set of hallways for him and his troops. It was probably for defense purposes, but even then, why make it hard for the troops to move throughout the hallways?

"Right," she said as the two blue dots made it to a corner.

Suddenly, she heard several clicking sounds. Looking discreetly over the edge of the roof, Numbuh 86 saw ladders set on the edge of the slanted roof below her. At first, she didn't know why there were ladders. After all, who would climb up to the roof? Then, she realized:

Cheese ninjas.

Her heart began racing as she looked for a place to hide. There was nowhere to hide on the exposed, topmost roof. Looking over the edge of the roof, she saw the slanted rooftop, the same one that Numbuh 362 and Numbuh 60 went down on. If she could hide on the side of the slanted rooftop opposite of the ladders, maybe she could hide. But what if the cheese ninjas moved around the slanted rooftop? Then they would see her.

 _I have no choice,_ Numbuh 86 thought.

She put away the tablet. Grabbing her harness, she attached it to the bottom of the topmost roof. She then proceeded to lower herself onto the slanted rooftop. Soon, she could hear the footsteps climbing up the ladder.

 _It's no good, I have to go_ _further_ _,_ she thought.

She looked down toward the edge of the slanted rooftop. More than ever, she wanted to get back into the S.C.A.M.P.E.R., sweating as she saw hundreds of feet below her. She decided she would have to hang from the bottom of the slanted roof, seeing as that was the only way to hide from the incoming cheese ninjas. Detaching her harness, Numbuh 86 slowly made her way down to the edge, trembling with fear.

"Numbuh 86, where's the next turn?" Numbuh 60 asked over the communicator.

She froze. Her communicator was still on.

"Numbuh 86, I said where's the next turn?" Numbuh 60 asked again, annoyed.

She immediately put her finger on the mute button. She hesitated, knowing that this could jeopardize the mission. Suddenly, she heard the feet of cheese ninjas on the roof. She had to press the button.

"Numbuh 86, do you even-"

She muted him.

Carefully attaching her harness to the bottom of the slanted rooftop, Numbuh 86 finally went over the edge. Hanging tightly on the rope, she hung right below the rooftop, which provided cover from the cheese ninjas standing above. It didn't help, though, that Numbuh 86 saw that she was hundreds of feet above the ground, and the only thing keeping her from falling was a harness.

* * *

"What's going on? She's not responding!" Numbuh 60 said.

"Is there static?" Numbuh 362 asked.

"She just muted me."

"Muted you? That means there's cheese ninjas up on the roof."

"What? Why?"

"Who knows, but either way, this isn't good."

"What do we do?"

For a few moments, Numbuh 362 closed her eyes, contemplating. Then, she looked at Numbuh 60.

"I'll go by myself. You go back."

"What? You're crazy! Without directions, you'll get lost."

"We're almost there, Patton, I'll find it myself. Besides, we need to make sure Fanny doesn't get caught. If she does, we're done for. She has the tablet, remember?"

"So what am I supposed to do?"

"Find your way back up, and get the cheese ninjas out of there. Maybe you could use some cheese as a distraction."

"Are you sure you'll be fine?"

"I'll be fine, Patton. I'll meet you back up on the roof. Just go."

"...If you say so. Good luck."

Reluctantly, Patton ran back the path they took.

Numbuh 362 began silently running through the halls. She remembered the days she hid in villain conventions and teen meetups, silently eavesdropping on almost every conversation. This was different, however, as one of her teammates was in great danger.

Through hallways, dead ends, and vents, Numbuh 362 struggled to find the throne room. Every time she thought she found the room, it was just another room of cheese ninjas organizing various types of cheese. The further she continued, the more exhausted she became. She hoped that she could find the throne room soon.

Then, suddenly, she saw a set of large doors. This was it.

With newfound energy, Numbuh 362 slowly made her way to the throne room entrance. With a sharp tool of her own, she carved out a small hole in the wall. She then placed a small, metal ball in the hole, pressing several small switches on the ball. Once this was done, she tested the ball's recording capabilities with her communicator.

" _So that's what you intend?"_

The voice of Shogun Roquefort was audible and clear through the communicator. Smiling, she plugged the hole with the material she had cut out and began making her way back to the roof.

* * *

"So then, what do you say?" Numbuh 206 asked.

"The nacho cheese is certainly a great gift, but what else do I gain from this?" Shogun Roquefort said.

"Although I gave you the nacho cheese contraption, I'm sure the Kids Next Door have many different kinds of cheese that you would enjoy. Not only that, joining forces with me will make your future campaigns a lot easier. Although a few KND operatives here and there aren't much trouble, their numbers will eventually grow and become a force you will be forced to reckon with."

Numbuh 206 stopped, pausing to think about what he wanted to say next. Clearly, Shogun Roquefort was still on the fence, despite his precious gift. He wondered what would push him over the edge. Then, he remembered something that some informants told him.

"In fact, from what I've heard, they're planning on waging a systematic war against you," Numbuh 206 said.

"WHAT? They think they can take me on?" Roquefort roared as he smashed his fist on his throne.

"Some informants told me about how the Kids Next Door are starting to gather forces for a big campaign. If we can divide and conquer them, though, we can win. I've already mentioned that I've gathered several other allies, and if all of us can quickly coordinate a campaign against the Kids Next Door, we'll demolish them before they can act. All I need is your manpower and your resources, and together, we can demolish those pests before they can react."

Shogun Roquefort sat in silent contemplation. By making an alliance to Numbuh 206, he would have to answer to some random kid. At the same time, he knew that he had to act quickly, or else the Kids Next Door could very well destroy all he had built up, including his precious cheese. This offer could very well ensure the security of his empire and his hard-earned cheese.

"...Will I retain command over my own troops?" Roquefort asked.

"Yes, you will be the one who leads your troops. Consider this more of a partnership."

"...Very well, then. I accept your offer for an alliance."

"Thank you, great Shogun."

* * *

Numbuh 60 slowly climbed up each rooftop with his harness and climbing hooks, carrying a large piece of cheese on his back. Arctic Base training was definitely hard, but even that didn't fully prepare him for this kind of situation. Still, he pressed on, determined to prevent Numbuh 86 from being caught.

As he made it onto the third-highest rooftop, he could hear cheese ninjas using tools on the slanted rooftop above him. He guessed that about three or four cheese ninjas were on the roof. Normally, he was confident that he could take them on, but fighting four cheese ninjas on a roof while trying to stay undercover was impossible.

Fortunately, he didn't have to fight them.

Patton slowly moved toward the side where the ladders were placed. Placing the piece of cheese on the rooftop, Patton whistled loudly and moved to hide on a different side of the rooftop. Four cheese ninjas looked over, seeing only a large piece of cheese on the roof.

"What is this cheese doing on the roof?" One of the cheese ninjas asked.

"I'm not sure, but it's extremely valuable. It's a special Brie cheese, made only by the finest in France," another cheese ninja said.

"Let's put this in the Brie cheese room," the third cheese ninja said.

Soon, all four cheese ninjas left, grabbing the cheese and descending down until they disappeared. Sighing with relief, Numbuh 60 began climbing onto the slanted rooftop. When he got there, though, no one was present. His mind started racing. What if they already took Numbuh 86? What if she's in the cheese mines? What if-

He suddenly heard a sound behind him. He looked back and saw Numbuh 86 frantically trying to climb onto the slanted rooftop.

"Could you maybe reach out your hand and help me get back up?" Numbuh 86 asked sarcastically.

"Sure," Numbuh 60 said.

* * *

"When do we start?" Roquefort asked.

"As of now, we'll start in about one week. I'll call up my allies and we'll begin planning our first steps of attack," Numbuh 206 replied.

"Who are your allies anyway? And what do they contribute?"

"There are ice-cream men who serve as grunts in my army, candy pirates under Stickybeard, who will contribute an entire fleet of ships, and Grandma Stuffum, who can summon armies of minions on her own."

"Interesting. I've heard about some kids named the Delightful Children from Down the Lane. What about them?"

"They're off doing their own thing. Apparently, they're fighting with Sector V or whatever it is. Nonetheless, with your army of cheese ninjas, we'll be more than prepared to take down the Kids Next Door."

"I see. Do you have any other allies?"

"I'm also currently in the process of persuading an elite squad of troopers to help me in this campaign."

"Splendid. Now, how do I contact you?" Roquefort asked.

"I have some messengers that will fill you in on information updates. In the meantime, I suggest you begin drilling your army"

"Very well, then. I will await your response."

"Thank you, most excellent Shogun."

Numbuh 206 left the throne room, satisfied with the new alliance he just formed.

* * *

A pair of hands grabbed onto the slanted roof. Numbuh 362 climbed over, to the relief of Numbuh 60 and Numbuh 86.

"Thank goodness you're safe," Numbuh 86 said.

"I'm just glad you managed to not get caught," Numbuh 362 said.

Numbuh 362 climbed onto the topmost roof, with Numbuh 60 and Numbuh 86 helping her up.

"Numbuh 35, do you copy?" Numbuh 362 said.

"Yes sir! Have you finished your mission?"

"Yup. We've planted the recording device, and it started recording."

"Great! I'm heading over there right now!"

In only a few minutes, the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. returned to the rooftops.

"Hatch door's opening and ropes are coming down!" Numbuh 35 exclaimed.

The door opened, with ropes falling from the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. ship. Numbuh 86 immediately started climbing to the S.C.A.M.P.E.R., with Numbuh 60 and Numbuh 362 following.

"Great work guys. Let's head back to Moonbase," Numbuh 362 said.

With the ropes retracted and the hatch door closed, the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. silently flew toward the full moon.

END TRANSMISSION

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you so much for reading! Please leave some comments and/or constructive criticism. It would really be appreciated.
> 
> Stay safe and healthy!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_Click. Click. Click. Click._

Numbuh 274 continuously pressed his pen. In front of him was an approval form for a pretzel station on the Moonbase. It would definitely keep a lot of kids quiet, he thought. The only problem was where to put it. Should it go in the main command bridge? No, the place was already pretty busy and crowded, so adding a pretzel station probably would have made it worse. Or maybe it could go to the hangar area. Or maybe-

"Supreme Leader Numbuh 274, sir, the strike team has returned from their mission!" a voice spoke over a communicator.

"Good. Let them through."

Putting away the approval form in a drawer, Numbuh 274 leaned back on his comfy chair in his office. It was only a few minutes before there was a knock on his door.

"Come in."

The door opened. Numbuh 60, Numbuh 86 and Numbuh 362 walked into the office. They stopped in front of Numbuh 274's desk, placing a box with switches and speakers on the desk.

"Sir!" all three said, saluting.

"At ease," Numbuh 274 said.

The three lowered their hands.

"Mission report, Numbuh 362," Numbuh 274 said.

"We were able to scan the temple and find the throne room. The schematics should be downloaded onto the box, along with an estimate of how many cheese ninjas there are. We also successfully planted the recording device in the temple. Even now, the contents of the audio are being sent to this box, which should include everything Roquefort and Numbuh 206 said in the past hour or so," Numbuh 362 replied.

Standing up, Numbuh 274 pressed the play button. The audio recording started playing as it replayed a conversation between Numbuh 206 and Shogun Roquefort.

" _If we can divide and conquer them, though, we can win. I've already mentioned that I've gathered several other allies, and if all of us can quickly coordinate a campaign against the Kids Next Door, we'll demolish them before they can act. All I need is your manpower and your resources, and together, we can demolish those pests before they can react," Numbuh 206 said._

_"...Will I retain command over my own troops?" Shogun Roquefort asked._

_"Yes, you will be the one who leads your troops. Consider this more of a partnership."_

_"...Very well, then. I accept your offer for an alliance."_

_"Thank you, great Shogun."_

As the recording continued, everyone in the room listened carefully, fast-forwarding through certain parts and pausing in others. After about ten minutes of this, Numbuh 274 then stopped the audio recording. Standing up, he paced around the room, carefully contemplating this new information.

"Looks like this is going to be a tougher fight than we thought. With the cheese ninjas on his side, Numbuh 206 gained another ally, not to mention he has Stickybeard, Grandma Stuffum, and the ice-cream men on his side," Numbuh 274 said.

"What I'm curious about is the elite squad that he was referring to. Who is that elite squad?" Numbuh 86 asked.

"I don't know. Whoever or whatever he's referring to as the elite squad, he's keeping it a close secret," Numbuh 60 said.

"How should we respond, sir?" Numbuh 362 asked.

"We don't know where he'll attack, but I think he'll send information to Roquefort about that. In the meantime, we need a standing army of operatives to counteract his invasion. I'll start by telling Sectors C, JP, and R to begin mobilizing their operatives. They're three of our largest sectors, located in China, Japan, and Russia, so they can definitely lend a helping hand. If Numbuh 206 has an army, we'll need to make one of our own," Numbuh 274 said.

"What about the other sectors?" Numbuh 86 asked.

"I'll let Numbuh 65.3 know about the invasion. He'll contact each sector to begin fortifying their treehouses," Numbuh 274 said.

"So what do you want us to do?" Numbuh 60 asked.

"For now, stay alert for orders. I'll be issuing orders soon enough," Numbuh 274 said.

"Yes sir," the strike team replied.

"Good. Now start going home, all of you. It's nighttime now."

The three strike team operatives saluted, then began filing away. As Numbuh 362 was about to leave, though, Numbuh 274 called out to her.

"Numbuh 362, you stay here. I've got something for you," Numbuh 274 said.

Turning to Numbuh 60 and Numbuh 86, Numbuh 362 said, "Just wait a little bit for me. I'll be right out."

Once the other two operatives left, Numbuh 362 closed the office door.

"Alright, Rachel. Are you ready for another espionage mission?" Numbuh 274 asked.

"You know I'm always ready," Numbuh 362 replied.

"Here's the deal. Just today, as you guys were doing your mission, the KND Moonbase intercepted some garbled transmissions. Our 2x4 officers on the Moonbase couldn't figure out what those transmissions meant, but, and this is important, we managed to figure out that those transmissions came from one singular location."

"Which is?"

"Sector C's treehouse. Now, this is where you come in. What I want you to do is to find out what's been going on in Sector C when those transmissions were sent. This folder will have all the documentation, approval forms, and other materials you need. Numbuh 35 will send you these materials by tomorrow."

"When do you need me to report back by?" Numbuh 362 asked.

"ASAP, but the latest I want this information is in three days. And always remember, Rachel, things aren't always as they seem."

"Gotcha."

"Good. Oh, and also, if you have the time, check up on Sector V. I haven't heard from them."

"Is it an issue with their communication systems?"

"Maybe. Some of the communication systems in certain treehouses experience technical difficulties. It could be that, or maybe their communications got destroyed in some minor attack. Either way, when you have the time, try to see what's up with Sector V."

"Sure thing."

"That settles it, then. Good night, Rachel. Get some rest before your next mission."

* * *

Numbuh 60 and Numbuh 86 went through hallway after hallway, making their way to the hangar.

"It's probably another espionage mission, isn't it?" Numbuh 60 asked.

"I guess so," Numbuh 86 replied.

As the two turned a corner, they saw another operative at the end, with two blonde pigtails, pink-purple suspenders, and a nurse cap. Almost immediately, Numbuh 86 gasped and ran to her, hugging her. The operative returned a hug to Numbuh 86, squealing in delight.

"Evie!" Numbuh 86 exclaimed.

"Numbuh 12, what are you doing here?" Numbuh 60 asked.

"I figured I'd meet you guys here. I just finished my shift on the medical team. There were a lot of patients after Numbuh 206's attack on the Deep Sea Lab," Numbuh 12 said.

"Okay, but aren't you supposed to be home already?" Numbuh 60 asked.

"I was waiting for you guys."

"Why?"

"Because you were waiting for our super special slumber party, right?" Numbuh 86 asked.

"Yeah! I can't wait for the slumber party!" Numbuh 12 exclaimed.

"Me too!" Numbuh 86 exclaimed.

"Ugh, who else is in this party?" Numbuh 60 asked.

"Numbuh 362!" Numbuh 12 replied.

"Numbuh 362? When did you ask her to join the slumber party?" Numbuh 60 said.

"Since a week ago! Tonight, we're going to watch every episode of the Rainbow Monkey show," Numbuh 12 said.

"All of them?"

"We already gathered the first 40 episodes from different Kids Next Door operatives. We then began looking for the last 10 episodes," Numbuh 12 said.

"What's so special about the last 10 episodes?" Numbuh 60 asked.

"The last 10 episodes of the Rainbow Monkey show were released as their own set, but they made it so expensive!" Numbuh 86 said.

"AND they had the nerve to make only 500 total copies of each set!" a voice shouted from the hallway.

Turning their heads, the three operatives saw Numbuh 362 coming toward them.

"Numbuh 362?" Numbuh 12 asked.

"Oh hey, what's up?" Numbuh 362 asked.

"You're here! We can finally do the sleepover!" Numbuh 12 said.

"Yay!" Numbuh 86 cheered.

"So what did Numbuh 274 say?" Numbuh 60 asked.

"He assigned me another espionage mission," Numbuh 362 replied.

"Another one?" Numbuh 86 asked.

"Yup," Numbuh 362 replied. "I'm getting all the stuff I need by tomorrow, so that'll be interesting. But anyway, I still hate the Rainbow Monkey show for making only 500 sets of their last 10 episodes!"

"I know! Why would they make only 500 copies?" Numbuh 12 asked.

"Who knows? But that's not important. What's important is that we found the last 10!" Numbuh 86 exclaimed.

"How?" Numbuh 60 asked.

"Numbuh 12 and I managed to get into contact with Numbuh 3. She said she had the last 10 Rainbow Monkey episodes! She said we could borrow them as long as we returned them to her!"

"Oh."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Now that Numbuh 362's here, we can all go home now!" Numbuh 12 said.

* * *

In the dense woods, Numbuh 206 quietly walked, pushing away bush after bush. He was in no rush, as he was elated by the alliance he had just formed with Shogun Roquefort. For now, he would call upon the rest of his allies to mobilize their forces and coordinate the biggest invasion the Kids Next Door organization has ever seen. Before that, though, he had to meet with a certain ally of his.

Numbuh 206 reached a clearing in the woods, where he had parked his secret transport ship. Looking up into the sky, he could see the full moon.

_Those brats on the Moonbase think they can handle me? They're not gonna see this coming,_ he thought.

"So, was it successful?" a mysterious voice spoke from the shadows.

"It sure was," Numbuh 206 said, turning around.

A cloaked figure emerged from the shadows in front of Numbuh 206.

"I've been expecting you. Is your force ready for combat?" Numbuh 206 asked.

"We've always been ready, Numbuh 206. What's the plan?" the figure asked.

"Stand by for now. The time will come when I'll need you all to fight, but for now, stay alert. Don't let the Kids Next Door find out what you've been doing."

"Oh, they won't, Numbuh 206. They don't suspect anything."

"I hope that for your sake it stays that way."

"Understood."

"Now, how about any new information from our moles?"

"They said they have no new information."

"Again?"

"Yes."

"Why don't they have any new information?"

"It seems like the creation of the Moonbase strike team limited the information stream from the KND Supreme Leader to every other operative. Any secret information that we could normally dig up from a multitude of operatives is now given only to the strike team, a group of operatives that we have almost no information about. Come to think of it, why don't we do espionage on them instead?"

"I already gathered as much as I could, but I didn't notice anything noteworthy. The records say that they've broken Arctic Base training records. No surprise there. There are pictures of their graduation from the Arctic Base Academy, along with the party afterward. No surprise there either. I tried looking into past missions, but I only found missions related to their time in the KND medical branch."

"Maybe those missions could provide us a lead?"

"The problem with those missions is that they still don't tell us anything about the strike team members. I could try getting into contact with the operatives who worked with them, but I can't trust that any of them have any sympathies to me or any of the Kids Next Door organization's enemies. If even one of them had a friend like that, then I could scrape some information from that person, but I don't know for sure anyone who fits that description."

"Actually, there's another more person we could extract information from. During one of the recruitment seminars for the Teen Ninjas, I overheard one of the girls saying that she had a younger sister who was in the KND. She must've been afraid that having a KND sibling would decrease your credibility."

"Wait, how did you even get into a Teen Ninja recruitment seminar? I thought that was for people only over the age of 13."

"I disguised myself as a 13-year-old. But that's not important. What's important is the operative. I managed to get into contact with the teenager, and I found out that her little sister has some secret sympathies for the Teen Ninjas. She may be a prime candidate as another mole that can work for us."

"I don't need another mole. What I need is information on the strike team."

"Hear me out. I heard from the teenager that her little sister is friends with a certain redhead and-"

"Wait, what does the operative look like?"

"She usually wears a pair of pink-purple suspenders and blonde pigtails. She also has light blue eyes."

Numbuh 206's eyes widened.

"...Come with me," Numbuh 206 said.

"What? Why?" the figure asked.

"I need you to help me dig up some old papers."

* * *

Numbuh 12, Numbuh 86, Numbuh 60, and Numbuh 362 all stood in the hangar bay, where several ships lay waiting.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning for training?" Numbuh 60 asked.

"Sure thing, Patton," Numbuh 362 said.

"By the way, is that all you're going to do at the party? Watch every episode of the Rainbow Monkeys show?" Numbuh 60 asked.

"No way!" Numbuh 86 exclaimed. "There are so many other things we can do! We can put makeup on each other, we can have pillow fights, and-"

"Okay Fanny, save your energy for the actual slumber party," Numbuh 12 said. "Numbuh 362, are you flying us to Numbuh 86's house?"

"Yup," Numbuh 362 said.

"Sweet!" Numbuh 12 exclaimed as she got on one of the transports.

"See ya, Patton!" Numbuh 86 said, waving as she entered the transport.

"I'll be ready for tomorrow, don't you worry," Numbuh 362 said, entering the transport.

The doors to the ship closed once Numbuh 362 went in. Almost immediately, the ship's engines fired up, and the ship launched toward the Earth.

_What's so fun about those things?_ Numbuh 60 thought to himself.

* * *

"Here it is," Numbuh 206 said, unrolling a thick roll of paper.

"What is this?" the cloaked figure said.

"This was a special newspaper that came out when Numbuh 274 formed the Moonbase strike team. Look over here," Numbuh 206 replied, pointing to two girls on the left hugging.

"I see Numbuh 86."

"Yeah, but look at the girl hugging her. Blonde pigtails and purple suspenders. Is this the girl you were talking about?"

"That has to be her. She has an uncanny resemblance to her sister, and she fits the description that I was given. Is she close with Numbuh 86?"

"Based on the picture, it seems like it."

"So what now?"

"Get into a meeting with the teenager. Make sure her little sister comes with her too."

"Understood, it'll be done in no time."

* * *

"Oh, it looks like everyone's here for the slumber party!" a red-haired woman exclaimed.

In front of her were three girls dressed in Rainbow Monkey pajamas, holding pillows in their hands.

"Alrighty, you little girls, have fun with your slumber party! Just make sure you aren't too loud." the woman said.

"Mom, where's dad?" Numbuh 86 asked.

"He's still at work, Fanny. He'll probably come back when you're all sleeping. Now, get to your room, girls! I wouldn't want to stop you from having fun!"

Numbuh 12, Numbuh 86, and Numbuh 362 all cheered as they ran upstairs to Numbuh 86's room. The room was filled to the brim with Rainbow Monkey merchandise. Every wall in the room had at least two Rainbow Monkey posters, and two giant Rainbow Monkeys sat on Numbuh 86's bed, along with numerous regular-sized Rainbow Monkeys lining the bed in neat rows and columns. In the front, there was a TV with a plastic box beneath containing all the DVD episodes of the Rainbow Monkey series.

"This is awesome!" Numbuh 362 said as she looked through the boxes of the last 10 DVDs.

"It's complete! At least for a day, that is," Numbuh 12 said.

"How did Numbuh 3 manage to get the last 10 episodes?"

"She said she was able to smell them."

"Smell them?"

"It's true, Rachel! Some people are blessed with the gift of smell, the smell that leads to ultimate love, joy, and cuteness!" Numbuh 86 exclaimed.

"How did you guys convince her to let you guys borrow them? You know she's absolutely crazy about anything related to Rainbow Monkeys." Numbuh 362 asked.

"Fanny and I asked if we could borrow it for our slumber party, and she surprisingly said yes, as long as we return them to her by tomorrow. But something was off about our conversation," Numbuh 12 said.

"Why?" Numbuh 362 asked.

"She sounded extremely unhappy," Numbuh 86 said.

"Unhappy? Aren't people sometimes unhappy about different things?" Numbuh 362 asked.

"This wasn't just normal unhappiness, Rachel. It felt like her unhappiness was… deeper, for a lack of a better word," Numbuh 86 said.

"Not to mention, Numbuh 3 is normally extremely happy, even when she shouldn't be. It's as though she completely changed," Numbuh 12 said.

"Or something happened," Numbuh 86 said.

Numbuh 362 began contemplating as Numbuh 86 and Numbuh 12 continued speaking with each other. She remembered how Numbuh 274 told her that Moonbase command lost contact with Sector V around one week ago. Incidentally, Numbuh 3, a member of Sector V, was incredibly unhappy around the time when Numbuh 86 and Numbuh 12 asked to borrow the last 10 episodes, which wasn't too long after Sector V had ended their transmissions.

Numbuh 362 began suspecting that something was up. If it was only one day ago that Sector V had lost contact with the KND Moonbase, she wouldn't have batted an eye, believing that Numbuh 3 was only unhappy due to personal reasons. However, Sector V was gone for a whole week. Maybe there was a link, she thought, between Sector V's communication problems and Numbuh 3's unhappiness. But what could possibly happen to Sector V that would make them lose contact with the Moonbase?

_After this slumber party, I'm going to have to check up on Sector V. I'll have to delay my training with Patton until the afternoon,_ Numbuh 362 thought to herself.

"Who?" Numbuh 86 gasped, pulling Numbuh 362 out of her thoughts.

"What do you mean 'who?' It's obviously Numbuh 4. He keeps saying he doesn't like Rainbow Monkeys and refuses to even look at it."

"How dare he! I'll teach him a lesson about friendship and love that he'll never forget!"

"Are you really?"

"I would, but… I can't. He's dreamy."

Numbuh 12 started laughing while Numbuh 362 let out a little giggle. Numbuh 86's cheeks became as red as beetroots as soon as she realized what she said.

"Wally and Fanny, sitting in a tree. G!" Numbuh 12 squealed.

"It- it's not like that kind of thing, Numbuh 12! I- just think- he's kind of cute, that's all," Numbuh 86 retorted.

"Whatever you say, lovebird," Numbuh 12 teased. "Anyway, let's watch the Rainbow Monkey show!"

Numbuh 86 took out the DVD case labeled "Rainbow Monkeys: Episode 1." Opening the case with extreme care and precision, she placed the disc into the television and pressed play. The three girls then immediately pulled out bowls of popcorn, eyes glued on the television. The Rainbow Monkey show began, with the classic tune beginning the episode. The three girls immediately sang the lyrics in perfect sync, even harmonizing the last chord of the song.

…

49 episodes later, the three girls were still awake, with their bowls of popcorn completely empty.

"So, now that we watched all 50 episodes of the Rainbow Monkey series, what do you want to do now?" Numbuh 12 asked.

"I don't know," Numbuh 86 said.

"Me neither," Numbuh 362 said.

"Wait a minute, I know what we can do!" Numbuh 86 exclaimed.

And so it began. Each of the three girls began applying makeup to their own faces. With delicate care, precision, and grace, they transformed their faces into beautiful faces of light and glory.

They then proceeded to smash said faces in a pillow fight brawl.

The free-for-all was complete madness. Numbuh 12 held a pillow in each hand, spinning and hitting all who would get in her way. Numbuh 86 stood on her bed, determined to defend the Rainbow Monkeys with all of her energy. Numbuh 362 dodged and blocked every pillow attack as though she were a martial arts master. If a person were to walk into the room and see the mayhem ensue, the person would think that the girls had gone insane. Of course, no one actually walked into the room, as they would either be sleeping in peace, ignoring the noise, or shivering in fear of a bad haircut.

Once the mayhem had died down, the three girls laughed and fell to the floor. Almost immediately, they then began snoring.

* * *

The playground was completely empty. It was silent, save for a few crickets and owls calling into the night. The roundabout made no turns, the swings hung still, and the slides were as cool as the air in the night.

Numbuh 60 sat on the roundabout. He had always loved it for its exhilarating spin. He remembered some time ago when he, Numbuh 86 and Numbuh 362 went together on the roundabout. Numbuh 86 held onto dear life in the center while Numbuh 60 stood near the edge. Numbuh 362 stayed near the middle, ensuring that Numbuh 86 wasn't too scared. It was a pleasant time, save for the end when they were all dizzy.

"Drilovsky?" a voice called out to him.

Numbuh 60 quickly turned around. On the roundabout stood a blonde and orange-haired kid with sunglasses on.

"Ace? Is that you?" Numbuh 60 asked.

"Of course it's me, the greatest chico there is in town," the boy replied.

"Yeah, sure. Anyway, what brought you here?"

"What do you mean? I always come here at this exact time. It's you I should be asking that question. I haven't seen you in a long time."

"The Kids Next Door missions are finally dying down a bit. At least for now."

"So you finally got some time to hang out with your friend, huh?"

"Yeah. So, you got anything in mind we could do?"

"How about we fly? We haven't done that in a while."

"Sure, sounds like a pretty good idea."

…

High above the ground, in the light of the full moon, a two-seat plane flew across the sky. Numbuh 60 sat in the gunner seat, where he had a full view of the back of the plane. Ace, of course, was the pilot, flying with a level of precision and talent that rivaled current KND operatives.

"It's so much higher from up here than the last time I flew with you," Numbuh 60 said. "What did you improve?"

"I added a few modifications to the engine so that it could output more power. With that and some changes to the wing shape, the plane got much better at flying."

"This is awesome! And you're flying this like a pro, too!"

"It took a lot of practice, but I managed to get it down."

"Where did you find the parts to make this?"

"I've just started buying new engine parts from a local store near me. Other than that, I find what I can."

"Ace, why don't you join the Kids Next Door?"

"What?"

"You've clearly got the skills to construct an entire working plane from scratch. We would definitely appreciate your help."

"It's because I work alone."

"Yeah, but why?"

"I don't like taking orders from people. I want to do what I want without someone telling me that I have missions to do."

"But the missions are fun! You get to go on cool adventures and fight adult tyranny."

"Yeah, but you're still taking orders from other people, are you not?"

"True. But I figured it's the way it is."

"Really? I'm surprised you're fine with that, Patton. I remember the first time I met you. It was in the playground, and a group of 6th graders was pushing around some younger kids, spitballing them and whatnot. When they got to you, they told you to stay still so that they could give you a wedgie. But then I see you kicking each one of their butts, and at the end of it all, saying, 'Don't you ever give me orders, freaks!' Now, you're following orders without a second thought."

"It's because I only take orders from people I respect. For example, the Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door is the greatest operative there is, and I would fight for him even if it meant certain danger."

"Okay, but what about Blondie?"

"Rachel? I respect her a lot. She always puts the team first, and she's the first to go into a dangerous situation, despite the odds. My dream is to hopefully become a leader like her and the Supreme Leader, where I lead missions and bring down evil adults."

"By the way, how's she doing?"

"She's doing fine. I think she and Fanny are having a slumber party."

"Slumber party?"

"Yeah, a slumber party. Apparently, they got some lost episodes of that Rainbow Monkey show or whatever, and they said they'll be watching all of the episodes in order."

"My little sister once had a slumber party. It was so loud that I could barely sleep for the whole night!"

"I just don't understand what could be fun about a slumber party."

"Well, I know that sometimes they put makeup on, sometimes they have pillow fights, and sometimes, they tell each other who they like."

"As in 'like like'?"

"Yeah, exactly! In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they're chatting about boys right now!"

"Sounds pretty stupid to me."

"I think you're just afraid that Fanny doesn't like you."

"What?"

"Your face tells me more than words ever do, Patton. I know you're blushing over there."

Ace was, in fact, correct. Numbuh 60's cheeks turned slightly red.

"Alright, look, I think she's cute, okay?" Numbuh 60 said.

"Sure thing, Patton. Since you've finally admitted that, I'll tell you who I like," Ace replied.

"Wait, you never told me this. Who?"

"Virginia. Virginia Sims."

Numbuh 60 started laughing out loud.

"What? What's so funny?" Ace asked.

"Oh nothing, Ace. I just think that she'd beat you to a pulp before you even get a chance!" Numbuh 60 said.

"You know her?"

"Well, yeah. She's a Kids Next Door operative."

"She's a Kids Next Door operative? I've never seen her do any Kids Next Door missions!"

"That's because the Kids Next Door are usually pretty secretive. In fact, the only reason why you know about the Kids Next Door is because of me."

"Huh, I never knew that she was an operative. But that's not a problem. At some point, I'll have a chance with her. Just you wait."

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Anyway, isn't it pretty late?"

"Yeah, it's pretty late. Do you want me to drop you off at your house again?"

"Sure, why not."

"Then hold on, Patton, because we're going to test my new accelerator!"

"Your new what?"

Ace pressed a button on his dashboard. The engines began roaring as the plane accelerated through the night sky.

END TRANSMISSION

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading this chapter! I hope that you enjoyed it.


	4. Chapter 4

Numbuh 362 opened her eyes.

She tried moving her arms and legs, but it felt like something was binding her to the ground. All she could do was glance side to side. Not that there was much to look at. Everything was engulfed in darkness. Cold, unflinching, silent darkness. She tried moving again, but her body wouldn't budge. All she could feel was her skin crawling and her hair standing on edge.

Suddenly, she heard the faintest of sounds in the distance. She couldn't hear who or what was making the sound, or even what the sound was. Her best guess was that it was some kind of engine, chugging away in the distance. If only she could move, so that-

A faint light emerged in front of her, flickering like an old fluorescent lightbulb. A shadow appeared in the light. At first, she couldn't tell who it was. The only thing she could make out was that the figure had long hair. The figure moved in front of her, completely still. For a moment, Numbuh 362 considered speaking to the figure, but she quickly realized she couldn't even move her mouth.

The figure then spoke in a garbled, but somehow still understandable, way.

"Do you remember?" the figure asked.

All of a sudden, Numbuh 362 felt her entire body loosen. She could finally move her hands and feet, and she could speak.

"Wh- What do you mean?" she replied.

Cracks of orange emerged around her, as if the darkness were made of glass. The shards of darkness slowly fell apart, and she found herself on the balcony of some large factory. The only lights in the room were wall lamps and vats of bubbling liquid below, illuminating the entire place with an orange tint. Looking toward her right, she saw a grated platform suspended above the largest of the vats, with some kind of control panel next to it. The platform appeared to be encased by glass walls, meaning the floor would likely open up and drop whatever stood on the platform into the vat. Looking below, she saw a large staircase descend to ground level, ending right on top of the cold, hard floor of the factory.

The sound of kids groaning and working echoed throughout the room in an eerie cacophony. Looking around, she realized the figure was nowhere to be found. It was then that she finally looked at herself. She was still in her standard attire: a red shirt with black shorts and a black belt wrapped around her. However, her clothes were scratched and torn, as if she had taken part in a battle some time ago.

She then heard the sound of footsteps behind her. Quickly looking around, she found a corner to hide in before the footsteps quickened in pace.

"Who's that?" a voice asked.

"It better not be one of those Kids Next Dorks again!" another voice exclaimed.

"Check the corners. Father will surely be angry with us if he finds out one of those Kids Next Doofuses are here," five voices spoke in unison.

A large shadow emerged, moving closer toward Numbuh 362's hiding spot. Then, the shadow split into two. One of them receded, while the other inched closer. Eventually, the second shadow made way for a burly Teen Ninja, donning Battle Ready Armor. The Teen Ninja stood right in front of Numbuh 362, clenching his fists.

Numbuh 362 tensed up. She didn't know what happened, but she would fight with all she had in her. Her opponent was bulky and significantly taller than her, but she nonetheless formulated a plan. She would sidestep him, aim for the legs, and...

He still stood there, scratching his head.

"Yo Brad, the kid disappeared," the figure said, turning back.

"What? That's impossible!" the other Teen Ninja, presumably, said.

"Do you think maybe… it's… _him_?"

"You mean that good-for-nothing Numbuh 206?"

"Quit dawdling! Find that brat now!" the five voices spoke in unison.

Numbuh 362 was confused. She was just discovered. Why didn't they attack her? Not to mention, Numbuh 206 was here? What on earth would he be doing in a place like this?

Numbuh 362 moved closer to the Teen Ninja. Despite being only a foot away, the Teen Ninja didn't seem to notice her. She slowly reached out to touch the armor itself. Her hand phased through, blending with the dark gray of the armor. In a panic, she pulled her hand out. Thankfully, the hand was completely normal again. As the Teen Ninja returned to his post, she saw the source of the five unison voices: the Delightful Children From Down the Lane. Only, instead of being eerily complacent and emotionless, they now looked incredibly restless.

"You dolts, find the brat! Father isn't paying you for nothing!" the Delightful Children screamed at the Teen Ninjas.

"Hey, get back here!" a voice shouted from below.

Numbuh 362 looked down from the balcony. In the darkness below, she could barely see a girl running across the room, holding the hand of what seemed like her twin brother. However, she barely made it to the staircase before some Teen Ninjas intercepted and apprehended them.

"Let me go!" the girl screamed.

"Let her go, let her go!" the boy cried.

Without warning, Numbuh 362 instinctively grabbed her left wrist, only to find nothing. Her wrists felt cold and tight, as if chains were binding her. Yet, she couldn't see any chains on her.

She looked toward her left.

A blond-haired girl cried as she pushed forward a rod alongside nine other kids, all of them covered in soot and ash. The girl could barely push forward her rod, which, along with those of the other nine kids, was attached to a large vat. The vat slowly turned, creating a scratchy, creaking sound as it rotated. Coming from above, boiling liquid poured in, the same liquid that Numbuh 362 saw up on the balcony. Realizing she wasn't there anymore, she looked up and saw the Delightful Children, standing aloft above the kids. When did she get down from there?

"Eyes forward, runt!" a voice bellowed. "Keep going!"

Looking back to her left, Numbuh 362 saw the blond-haired girl whimpering, tears streaming from her eyes. Right beside her was another Teen Ninja, with an unpleasant look on his face.

"And stop crying, you little baby, or I'll send you to the broccoli press!" the Teen Ninja screamed.

Deep inside, Numbuh 362 felt her entire body flare in anger. With her hands balled into fists, she walked over to the Teen Ninja, ready to fight. She reared back, aiming for the Teen Ninja's face. She then let loose, expecting to hit him on his cheekbone. Instead, she tripped and fell forward, having forgotten that she couldn't touch anyone. Just then, she heard the sound of metal falling on the floor. Picking herself up, Numbuh 362 saw that, somehow, the chains from the blond girl had unlocked and fallen to the ground.

"How did you unlock your electric chains?" the Teen Ninja said.

The girl froze, her expression morphing from sadness to fear.

"Doesn't matter, you're not going anywhere," the Teen Ninja said, grabbing a wrench from his belt.

The girl tried running away, but he grabbed her left wrist, reattaching it to the chain on the ground. Placing the girl's left wrist back on the rod, the Teen Ninja rotated the wrench to the right on a screw. The girl winced as the chain tightened. Suddenly, Numbuh 362 groaned as she fell back down to the floor. Every part of her body suddenly ached, to the point that it hurt to move even her fingers. As the Teen Ninja reattached the girl's right wrist to the rod, her wrists felt even colder and tighter than before. Before long, the girl was about to push again, with a defeated look on her face.

_Who is that kid?_ Numbuh 362 thought as she tried standing up again. It was pure torture now due to the pain in her body, but through sheer willpower she picked herself back up. She turned back toward the balcony. The girl and boy, who looked like twins, shivered in fear before the Delightful Children and their Teen Ninjas. Before the Delightful Children could say anything, though, one of the Teen Ninjas walked over and whispered into their ears. Their faces then morphed, slowly changing into their infamous evil grins.

"Finally, it's all finished. Our Delightfulization chemical will change kids into goody-two-shoes, just like us! And it looks like we have our first test subjects!" the Delightful Children exclaimed.

"No, please! We're sorry! Please don't!" the brother cried.

"Please, just let him go! Take me instead!" the sister begged.

"Fat chance. Guards!" the Delightful Children shouted.

The Teen Ninjas beside the Delightful Children rushed forward and grabbed the two twins. They tried fighting back, but the Teen Ninjas easily dragged them away from the balcony. The twins re-emerged, now trapped inside the glass walls of the grated platform. The Teen Ninjas typed some commands into the control panel. Bubbling liquid then drained from the smaller vats, all pouring into the largest one. The twins shivered in fear, holding onto each other as the liquid filled more and more of the largest vat - the one they were standing above. The other vats stopped rotating, as the kids below were commanded to cease working. The Delightful Children emerged in front of the control panel, addressing the entire factory.

"Finally, our work is complete! For so long, we've toiled to find a way to morph every single snot-nosed brat on this planet into nice, behaving children like us! And we've finally done it! You lot should be grateful because now we can test this chemical on our first test subjects! Soon, the entire world will be in Father's grasp, and no one will stop us! Not even the Kids Next Door," the Delightful Children said.

In desperation, Numbuh 362 made her way toward the staircase. She wouldn't get there in time, as each step toward the balcony was complete torture.

"Jenkins, pull the lever, please!" the Delightful Children said.

An old butler emerged, pulling a lever on the control panel. The Delightful Children laughed. The twins screamed. Numbuh 362 shut her eyes, waiting for the splash.

...But nothing happened.

"Jenkins, what's going on?" the Delightful Children furiously asked.

"Have you forgotten that you've set a timer for three minutes?"

"Three minutes? Why would we wait that long?"

"Because you planned on giving a longer speech. To gloat over all these snot nosed brats about how great you were."

"Ugh. Pull the other lever, Jenkins!"

Suddenly, an explosion rocked the factory, knocking everyone down to the floor. The electric chains on every kid loosened. Now free, the kids went into a frenzy as they all tried to escape, battling the Teen Ninjas and pouring out of the factory. In the chaos, Numbuh 362 sprinted up the staircase. Somehow, her body no longer felt any pain. Phasing through the crowd of kids, she made it to the platform.

"What's going on?" the Delightful Children asked.

"It seems like the Kids Next Door is sabotaging this factory."

"What?"

"The only thing that's still functional is the platform countdown."

This was her chance! Numbuh 362 immediately dashed toward the control panel. She wouldn't be able to touch the Delightful Children, but she never tried touching inanimate objects. Perhaps she could physically manipulate the control panel itself and save the kids. Then, something struck her in the face. Shaking off the pain, Numbuh 362 tried moving forward, but there was some kind of invisible wall preventing her from reaching the platform. She slammed against the wall, trying to get through, but it was in vain. The wall wouldn't break.

_THIRTY SECONDS UNTIL DROP,_ a robotic voice boomed. _ALL SYSTEMS NEARLY COMPROMISED. PLEASE EVACUATE ALL STAFF._

Numbuh 362 hit the barrier again and again, but she couldn't get through.

_TWENTY SECONDS. REPEAT, EVACUATE ALL STAFF._

"Jenkins!" the Delightful Children screamed.

Immediately, the butler pressed a button on the control panel. The area around them morphed into a large escape pod, sending them through the ceiling and away from the factory.

_TEN._

Numbuh 362 threw herself against the wall, still unable to breach it.

_FIVE._

She looked around for something to throw at the control panel: a wrench, a rock, anything.

_FOUR._

She turned, seeing the twins crying and screaming in terror.

_THREE._

_TWO._

_ONE._

Closing her eyes, Numbuh 362 sank to the ground, knowing that she had failed to save the twins.

…

"Surely you remember," a voice whispered.

Frightened, Numbuh 362 looked backward, but nobody was there. She then found herself in front of the glass walls, facing the twins. Something was different, though: the twins seemed to acknowledge Numbuh 362's presence. Banging on the glass walls, they begged her to help them. Numbuh 362 reached for the girl's hand, but her hand phased through, unable to grab the girl. Numbuh 362 looked around. It seemed as though everyone was frozen. The Teen Ninjas were trying to shake off some kids who were sabotaging their armor while the rest poured through the doors.

"You don't remember?" the voice whispered again.

She felt the breath of someone right behind her. She looked backward again, but once again, no one was there. She turned back. The twins begged for her help, but their screams were completely silent. Numbuh 362 tried again in vain to grab them.

"Let me jog your memory," the voice said.

Numbuh 362 felt her gaze being directed toward the large doors. There, she saw the blond girl looking toward the twins. The twins turned and screamed to the girl for help, banging desperately at the glass walls. However, the blond girl didn't move forward. Instead, she ran out the doors, leaving the twins to their fate.

"You remember now, don't you?" the voice repeated.

As Numbuh 362 looked back a third time, she saw the blond girl right behind her. However, the soot on the blond girl's clothing and face disappeared, instantly followed by darkness enveloping her. Immediately, Numbuh 362 recognized the figure, realizing this was the one that first appeared to her. Then, the figure morphed, slowly growing to Numbuh 362's height. The darkness then seemed to melt away, revealing the figure's true identity.

Numbuh 362's eyes widened in horror as the darkness disappeared. It was herself. Everything was the same: the clothing, the face, and the mannerisms. The figure's eyes exuded fury, slowly walking toward Numbuh 362 with clenched fists.

_ZERO_.

She heard the screams. Peering over, Numbuh 362 saw the twins as they fell to the vat. The twins splashed into the liquid, slowly sinking in as they reached out to the sky. Once they were completely submerged, clusters of bubbles rose and popped on the surface of the liquid. As Numbuh 362 turned back, the figure grabbed her, hoisting her over the rails and holding her right above the vat. Numbuh 362 tried to fight back, but she couldn't move. She heard the figure say, in her own voice:

You.

Let.

Them.

Fall.

The figure dropped Numbuh 362 into the vat.

"NOOOOOOOOOO-"

* * *

"Rachel! Rachel!" a voice cried.

Numbuh 362 sat up, trembling and panting. Numbuh 12 and Mrs. Fulbright stood above her, concerned, with Numbuh 86 by Numbuh 362's side.

"Are you okay, Rachel? It seems like you were in a nightmare," Mrs. Fulbright said.

Tears started welling in Numbuh 362's eyes.

"Rachel, are you-" Numbuh 86 asked.

Standing up, Numbuh 362 dashed toward the bathroom. The doors to the bathroom slammed shut as a shocked Numbuh 86, Numbuh 12, and Mrs. Fulbright quickly rushed to her aid. It was too late: the door was already locked. The only thing they heard was the sound of Numbuh 362 sobbing inside.

"Evie, go downstairs now," Mrs. Fulbright said, to which Numbuh 12 obliged.

"Mom, is she going to be okay?" Numbuh 86 asked.

"Hush, Fanny," Mrs. Fulbright whispered. Turning to the door, she said, "Rachel, it's just a nightmare. No one's going to hurt you."

Numbuh 362 didn't give a reply, still sobbing.

"Don't worry Rachel, I'll call your mother. She'll be here in no time."

Numbuh 362 still gave no reply.

"Fanny, pack her things, quickly," Mrs. Fulbright said.

"Got it," Numbuh 86 said as Mrs. Fulbright walked downstairs.

As the only person left in the hallway, Numbuh 86 felt uncomfortable simply leaving Numbuh 362 in the bathroom. Pondering for several moments, she then spoke.

"Rachel, it's me, Fanny. If there's anything you need, let me know," Numbuh 86 said.

Still sobbing, Numbuh 362 said nothing. As Numbuh 86 walked away, though, she heard her murmur two distinct words, over and over again between sobs:

"I'm sorry."

* * *

"Hyah!" Numbuh 60 grunted as he hit the punching bag.

For the past hour, Numbuh 60 had been training extensively. Imagining Numbuh 206 as the target, Numbuh 60 pieced together the movements that Numbuh 206 could make during a hand-to-hand fight. Slowly, Numbuh 60 worked on a set of counters that would strike at Numbuh 206's weak points. If he had any to begin with. No matter what he did, he hesitated with every punch and kick. It always seemed like Numbuh 206 was one step ahead, laughing at him along the way.

Numbuh 60 stood once again in a fighting stance. Suddenly, he heard the sound of footsteps in his backyard. Turning, he saw Numbuh 86, dressed and ready for training. However, Numbuh 60 quickly noticed something off about Numbuh 86: her face showed great worry. Then, he realized Numbuh 362 wasn't here.

"Numbuh 86, where's Numbuh 362?" Numbuh 60 asked.

"She's… going to be late to training," Numbuh 86 said.

"What? We do this every week. She always comes early and we spar for a bit before you show up. Why is she doing this now?"

"She's feeling unwell."

"Unwell?"

"She had a nightmare, Patton."

Numbuh 60 was confused. He never imagined anything would stop Numbuh 362, one of the most tenacious operatives in the organization, from accomplishing her goals. Yet now he found out that Numbuh 362 was unable, or unwilling, to come to training on time, all due to a nightmare. Either she was making excuses, which was unimaginable, or she had a terrifying one.

"Are you sure we shouldn't go visit her or something? Maybe we can get her some Chunky Puffs from down the street."

"I don't think she wants to talk, Patton."

"...Well, as long as you're here then, we can get started."

* * *

PLEASE ENTER AUTHORIZATION CODE

Numbuh 362 quickly typed on her terminal's keyboard.

ACCESS GRANTED.

As Numbuh 362 waited, the terminal began listing pivotal events in the Kids Next Door, one by one.

SELECT HISTORICAL ARCHIVE:

\+ ORIGIN OF THE KND - ACCESSED 72 TIMES

\+ NUMBUH 274, SUPREME LEADER - ACCESSED 55 TIMES

\+ CREE'S BETRAYAL - ACCESSED 53 TIMES

\+ NUMBUH 100'S DECOMMISSIONING - ACCESSED 76 TIMES

Pressing a button, Numbuh 362 pulled up a different prompt on the terminal.

PLEASE ENTER SEARCH QUERY

She typed the words, "Destruction of Delightfulization Factory."

LOADING HISTORICAL ARCHIVE:

DESTRUCTION OF DELIGHTFULIZATION FACTORY

ACCESSED 933 TIMES

Numbuh 362 sat back on her bed, fiddling with the keys on her terminal.

DESCRIPTION:

DURING THE NIGHT OF SEPTEMBER 30, [REDACTED], KND AGENTS DISCOVERED A MASSIVE FACTORY IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOREST LOCATED IN [REDACTED].

She wondered why the Kids Next Door communications officers would bother covering up the dates and places of these historical events, seeing as how almost every KND operative knew when and where these kinds of events would have happened.

THE FACTORY'S PURPOSE WAS TO DEVELOP A NEW LIQUID CHEMICAL, CAPABLE OF TURNING MULTITUDES OF KIDS INTO GOODY-TWO-SHOES LIKE THE DELIGHTFUL CHILDREN FROM DOWN THE LANE. KND AGENTS SUCCESSFULLY DESTROYED THE FACTORY, BUT TWO TWIN SIBLINGS SEEMINGLY SUFFERED A TERRIBLE FATE, FALLING INTO-

Numbuh 362 turned off the terminal. Every moment, she felt a weight growing heavier and heavier in her heart. No matter how many times she opened the historical report, she could never finish it.

She opened the terminal again.

PLEASE ENTER AUTHORIZATION CODE

Numbuh 362 typed on her terminal's keyboard.

ACCESS GRANTED.

As Numbuh 362 waited, the terminal began, again, listing pivotal events in the Kids Next Door, one by one.

SELECT HISTORICAL ARCHIVE:

\+ ORIGIN OF THE KND - ACCESSED 72 TIMES

\+ NUMBUH 274, SUPREME LEADER - ACCESSED 55 TIMES

\+ CREE'S BETRAYAL - ACCESSED 53 TIMES

\+ NUMBUH 100'S DECOMMISSIONING - ACCESSED 76 TIMES

Pressing a button, Numbuh 362, again, pulled up a prompt on the terminal.

PLEASE ENTER SEARCH QUERY:

She typed the words, "Destruction of Delightfulization Factory"

LOADING HISTORICAL ARCHIVE:

DESTRUCTION OF DELIGHTFULIZATION FACTORY

ACCESSED 934 TIMES

DESCRIPTION:

DURING THE NIGHT OF SEPTEMBER 30, [REDACTED], KND AGENTS DISCOVERED A MASSIVE FACTORY IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOREST LOCATED IN [REDACTED].

THE FACTORY'S PURPOSE WAS TO DEVELOP A NEW LIQUID CHEMICAL, CAPABLE OF TURNING MULTITUDES OF KIDS INTO GOODY-TWO-SHOES LIKE THE DELIGHTFUL CHILDREN FROM DOWN THE LANE. KND AGENTS SUCCESSFULLY DESTROYED THE FACTORY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, TWO TWIN SIBLINGS SEEMINGLY SUFFERED A TERRIBLE FATE, FALLING INTO-

Numbuh 362 turned off the terminal once again.

Getting up from bed, she immediately clutched her abdomen. Despite Numbuh 86's expertise in medical treatment, Numbuh 362 still felt incredibly sore from yesterday's battle. Nonetheless, she trudged over to the closet, snapping her fingers when she got there. Almost immediately, the closet doors slid open, allowing one of the drawers in her closet to pop out from the jungle of jackets stored inside. Peering over the drawer, she saw an old manila folder with "Numbuh 362, Graduation" imprinted on it. As she delicately opened the folder, she saw many pictures in the folder, including one where she posed with Numbuh 274. However, her gaze was directed to one particular picture. In it, she was laughing with two other operatives: Numbuh 60 and Numbuh 86.

_Protect them,_ a voice whispered in her mind.

Without a sound, she closed the manila folder and placed it back in the drawer. The drawer soon retracted, and the closet doors slowly closed. With a solemn expression on her face, she grabbed her things and left the room.

* * *

"Come on, keep going!" Numbuh 60 shouted, holding boxing pads in his hands.

Numbuh 86 was sweating. Hard.

She connected her right hook with Numbuh 60's right boxing glove, then did the same with her left. Pivoting, she then connected her right, then left, hook with Numbuh 60's left boxing glove.

"You're almost there, Numbuh 86!"

Her arms kept feeling heavier and heavier. Yet deep inside, Numbuh 86 felt a burning sensation, hitting harder and harder.

"One last one!"

Winding up her left hook, Numbuh 86 connected it with Numbuh 60's left glove. Having finished, she dropped flat onto her back, panting.

"Your punches have gotten better. Good work!" Numbuh 60 exclaimed.

"Water, water," Numbuh 86 panted.

"Sure thing," Numbuh 60 said, tossing a cold bottle.

Catching it, Numbuh 86 chugged the whole bottle in less than five seconds, breathing a sigh of relief afterward.

"I still don't understand," Numbuh 60 said. "She took a beating from Numbuh 206 yesterday, sure, but we all took a beating. Did she tell you what it was about?"

"She wouldn't," Numbuh 86 said. "All I know is that I woke up to her screaming. Mom rushed up to the stairs, and Evie and I were right beside her. Then, she ran for the bathroom and locked the door on us. The next thing we know, she was sobbing."

There were three absolute truths Numbuh 60 held dear in his life as an operative. One, you never mess with Numbuh 274. Two, you never hang around Numbuh 13. And three, Numbuh 362 never cries.

Well, now it was only two.

"Sobbing? I didn't think Numbuh 362 would ever cry in her life."

"She does, but that's not even the scariest part. Mom told me to pack her things, so I went. But before I even took a step, I heard her whispering the words, 'I'm sorry.' Over and over again. She wouldn't even talk to us, even as she left with her mom."

"Who would she be apologizing to?"

"I don't know, Patton, but can we keep this a secret?"

"Sure, but I mean your whole family and Numbuh 12 already know."

"Numbuh 12 wouldn't share the secret. I'm sure of it."

"Alright then. Wanna do the next thing on our list?"

"Which is?"

"Get some ice cream."

* * *

"So, how was your stupid slumber party?" a girl donning blue suspenders and sporting blond curls, asked with scorn.

"It wasn't stupid, Rebecca! It was the best party ever! And what are you doing in my room?" Numbuh 12 replied.

"What did you even do? Pillow fights? Watch that stupid Rainbow Monkeys show? Why do you even play with _her_?"

"Huh?"

"I said why do you play with Fanny?"

"What? Because she's my friend."

"Really? She's your friend? What if she finds out you have sympathies with the Teen Ninjas?"

"I told you, I said that maybe the Teen Ninjas and the Kids Next Door should be peaceful, not that the Teen Ninjas are right."

"And that's the problem with you, Evie. You keep trying to say that peace is possible. Why do you keep telling yourself that? The Teen Ninjas have been at war with the Kids Next Door for decades, and it got even worse ever since the Junior High Rebellion! You can't just keep sitting on the fence."

"Why do you care if I get kicked out? Is it because I'm the only thing standing between you and their initiation party?"

"You don't understand, Evie. It's for the good of both of us."

"Are you sure? From what I see, it was always about _you_."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Rebecca said, trudging away to the door.

Numbuh 12 sighed, closing the bedroom door and laid down on her bed.

_There's no way Numbuh 86 would ever betray me, would she?_ Numbuh 12 thought.

Through the thin walls, she heard Rebecca mutter something to the visitor, or visitors.

"You want to meet my sister? When? ...What do I get out of this? ...Alright. ...Fine, let's meet at 6. I'm busy right now."

After Rebecca closed the door, Numbuh 12 heard the sound of footsteps getting closer to her door. Anticipating another conversation, she got up and reopened the door.

"Evie, someone's meeting you at 6 tonight."

* * *

"What do you mean there's none left?" Numbuh 60 asked.

"Sorry kiddo, but it's the middle of June. Everyone's dropping like flies getting ice cream, and now we've got no more pistachio," the ice cream vendor said.

"Hurry it up already!" a boy shouted from behind Numbuh 60.

"Ugh, fine. Numbuh 86, what do you want?" Numbuh 60 asked.

"I'll… uh… take a small vanilla soft serve please," Numbuh 86 said.

"Do you always get vanilla?" Numbuh 60 asked as he handed money over to the vendor.

"It's my favorite one!"

"I mean, can't you just try another flavor, like strawberry?"

"But vanilla's always delicious!"

"...Alright. I'll order a medium cookie dough, please."

"$10, kiddo."

As Numbuh 60 handed the money to the vendor, Numbuh 86 looked around. There was a fairly big line behind them; she estimated there were at least 10 people on line, with more joining. Once the vendor handed the two ice cream cones to them, Numbuh 60 and Numbuh 86 immediately walked over to a bench nearby, sitting together.

"I wonder what Numbuh 206's up to," Numbuh 86 said, delicately biting her ice cream.

"Probably building up an army. I wonder when Numbuh 274's gonna issue his next order," Numbuh 60 said, chomping on his ice cream.

"Do you ever wonder if we'll win?"

"What are you talking about? Of course we'll win!"

"But more and more operatives are thinking about deserting. Remember when we had to assist the decommissioning squad in capturing Numbuh 38? He had an entire group of operatives with him."

"Oh yeah, I remember. Who else was there?"

"Numbuh 1, of Sector V."

"Numbuh 1? Oh yeah, I remember him. You guys were friends during kindergarten, right?"

"Yeah!"

"Come to think of it, what's Sector V up to? Last time I was there, I traded some Yipper cards with their 2x4 tech officer- er- Numbuh 2."

"I'm not sure, but all I know is that Numbuh 3 is really sad."

"What's that supposed to mean? Everyone's sad at some point."

"She's usually never sad. She's always smiling. Or at least, until now."

"Hmm. Well whatever happened to them, someone will probably go and check on them."

* * *

Walking on the sidewalks of the neighborhood, Numbuh 362 looked around her. For all she knew, there could have been an attack on Sector V, and the adults were still lingering and celebrating their victory over Sector V. Or perhaps Numbuh 206 attacked the treehouse and leveled it. In any case, she needed to stay alert. As she walked, she took in her surroundings. Birds chirped in nearby bushes and trees. Cars of different types drove past her. Some adults were watching TV while others were grilling delicious burgers. A couple of boys were playing basketball on their driveways, and a several girls were having a picnic outside in their own backyard. Most paid no heed to Numbuh 362, but some glanced toward her direction, whispering and laughing about things Numbuh 362 couldn't even hear.

Suddenly, a frisbee hit her in the head. Numbuh 362 recoiled, holding her head in her hands.

"Could you pass the frisbee back here?" a boy called out from across the street.

Picking up the frisbee, Numbuh 362 looked toward the boy, saying "Ugh. Can you be careful next time?"

"Sorry."

Holding the frisbee, Numbuh 362 was about to toss the frisbee back when she noticed something. She was not just any intersection. This was the last intersection before she would reach the treehouse. At this point, it should have been visible by now, yet it was nowhere to be found on the horizon.

_The treehouse has to be here,_ she thought. _It's not like the treehouse could completely disappear. Unless…_

Numbuh 362's eyes widened. She checked her directions again.

_No, there's no way,_ Numbuh 362 thought.

She immediately crossed the street, throwing the frisbee toward the boy. Catching the frisbee, the boy looked on in confusion. It didn't matter, though. She began running toward the location of the treehouse, her blonde hair flying behind her. As she ran, she read the numbers of each house, trying to get a sense of where the treehouse was.

_You're too late,_ a voice whispered in her head.

She ran harder, harder than ever before. With every step she took, she felt more and more dread, wondering what major incident could have happened so that Sector V's treehouse was completely gone.

She stopped. On the sidewalk before her lay planks of wood. Numbuh 362 slowly moved to pick up a wooden plank. It was charred and splintered, cracks ripping through the wooden fibers. Every other plank on the trail was similar to this one, as though they all used to be a part of a large treehouse. After only a short walk, she saw what happened.

The large treehouse that used to be Sector V's was no more. The top of the tree was decimated, with only the stump attached to the house remaining. Around the house, debris lay everywhere. Broken wood, metal, and pipes scattered the ground while large, shattered rockets sat planted into the ground. As Numbuh 362 walked around the debris, she saw traces of kids' belongings.

A samurai helmet and a pair of sunglasses lay scratched and bent beneath numerous pieces of debris. The sunglasses were bent completely out of shape, rendering them completely unusable.

Blueprints of inventions, if not completely ripped, were crumpled under the weight of metal and pipes. Numerous boxes, tools, and wires were jumbled together and broken beyond repair.

Dozens of Rainbow Monkeys were scattered along the ground, shredded and covered in soot. The largest of them, with a size that rivaled a queen-sized bed, was crushed under soot and rubble, with half of its smile torn in half.

The remains of a boxing ring and punching bag were broken into many pieces. Boxing gloves, soda bottles, and posters of monster trucks were strewn across the floor.

A disco ball lay shattered on the ground, with wrapped candy scattered around the ground, slowly being consumed by ants.

Looking around, Numbuh 362 noticed what seemed like an empty, cardboard box. Walking over to it, she noticed a yellow sticky note, attached to the box with the following inscription:

_KND Temporary Hedquarterz_

_What happened here? Did some adults level the place? Was there some construction accident?_ Numbuh 362 thought.

She knew Numbuh 3 was okay, seeing as how Numbuh 12 and Numbuh 86 were able to borrow episodes from her. However, she didn't know what happened to everyone else, like Sector V's leader or their second in command. Neither Sector V's 2x4 officer nor their combat specialist was here either.

_Maybe I need to check the data records. I hope they're still intact,_ Numbuh 362 thought.

Slowly, she walked over to the largest pile of debris and began digging. After a few minutes, she discovered a terminal hidden in the wreckage. Its edges were bent out of shape, and the entire keyboard was covered in soot and dust. Despite this, the terminal somehow powered on, albeit not without issues.

wElC0M& To KNB aRCHIVE

PQLEASE &MTER 4+HORIZATION cDE

_Must be the authorization code,_ she thought, inputting her code.

Ac ESS gr nted

Numbuh 362 was worried. The terminal began flickering, meaning either its circuitry was about to fail or it was about to run out of battery. Either way, she impatiently waited for the text to load.

P EASE T PE A T ON TO DO

...What?

Numbuh 362 lightly tapped the terminal, only for it to properly display the text for a brief second.

PLEASE TYPE ACTION TO DO

Numbuh 362 immediately typed in, "List Security Log."

\+ S CU ITY W RNING: TTACK BY DEL G FUL CH D EN-

\+ W!WWWWW!WAWRW!-

The terminal suddenly powered off, electricity coursing through the entire device and causing it to tear apart. Thankfully, Numbuh 362 let go of the terminal right before it happened.

_Del… lightful children? But how?_ she wondered.

She suddenly turned backward. She heard some kids approaching, but she couldn't see them anywhere.

_Kids Next Door? I'm not sure… I'll have to hide,_ she thought, as she partially buried herself under some rubble.

Soon, she could see four kids trudging toward the box. One was a portly boy donning a brown aviator helmet and goggles. Another was a long-haired girl wearing a long green shirt. Still another was a short boy donning an orange sweatshirt, with the hood raised over his head. And finally, there was a girl with a long ponytail and donning a red cap.

Red cap… Numbuh 362 had seen it somewhere, but she couldn't put her finger on where or when she saw it. Some time ago, the operative Numbuh 9 swore that he would never rest until he found and destroyed the source of the Teens' chicken pox. The context was an attack in his bedroom, where Teen Ninjas attempted to give him chicken pox while he was sleeping. Fortunately, the attack was stymied by a secret counterattack from the KND, having already anticipated the attack. She remembered she was stationed in the hallway, guarding until the moment of attack when she, along with numerous operatives such as Numbuh 86 and Numbuh 274, rushed into the room. She found that Numbuhs 8A and 8B got hit with the chicken pox. She remembered looking around, seeing Numbuh 11 with her red cap… along with…

Numbuh 5, younger sister of Numbuh 11, aka Cree Lincoln, one of the worst traitors of the KND.

As Numbuh 362 watched, the four kids sat in the box, sighing in despair. She waited, wondering when the leader would make a decision. However, the four did nothing other than sit in the box. There was no routine checkup, no briefing session, not even bottles of soda to pass around. The area was completely silent, save for the occasional sigh from some of the four.

Then, she saw the blond boy open his mouth.

"I don't get it. Why don't we just go and do a mission?" the blond boy said.

"It's just not the same without Numbuh 1, Numbuh 4," the portly boy said.

"And if we go on a mission, KND global command will ask us about Numbuh 1. We can't let them know that Numbuh 1 turned into an adult. Otherwise, Numbuh 273's gonna come and take him away," Numbuh 5 said.

"Cruddy decommissioning officer. That kid's a traitor," Numbuh 4 said.

"Wally, just because he and his team decommissions operatives doesn't mean they're traitors. It's a part of their job," Numbuh 5 said.

"That doesn't change the fact that it's unfair. And who'd be sick enough to even have the guts to decommission operatives? You know what, forget all that. Why don't we just do something on our own, then? Get some ice cream? Take down Stickybeard? Or actually, let's get back at those Delightful Doofuses!"

"But… we don't have anything. All our tech's broken," the portly kid said.

"What are you talking about, Numbuh 2? You could make a gazillion inventions with only a box of scraps in only an hour tops. You're smart, figure it out!" Numbuh 4 replied.

"But… Numbuh 1's not here to lead us," the long-haired girl said.

"Numbuh 3's right. Without Numbuh 1, we don't have any good leaders. And besides, who's going to lead us? You? I slept for 24 hours straight after you ordered us to put together a clam cannon," Numbuh 2 said.

"What are you talking about? Even Numbuh 1 thought it was a good idea when he came back. But that's besides the point. Numbuh 5 is second in command. If Numbuh 1 is gone, then Numbuh 5 takes his place. That's one of the rules!" Numbuh 4 said.

"Wally, you know I can't lead a mission. After..." Numbuh 5 started.

"Oh… yeah," Numbuh 4 said, hanging his head in despair.

"Well, if there's nothing on the agenda, then I'm gonna go home. Tommy needs to be babysitted," Numbuh 2 said, getting up and walking away.

"Mushi needs a babysitter too," Numbuh 3 said, getting up and walking away as well.

As Numbuh 3 and Numbuh 2 left, Numbuh 362 began speculating on why Numbuh 1 was missing. Did Numbuh 1 become a traitor, and Sector V didn't have the heart to turn in their leader? Clearly, they held him in high regard, to the point where they were unwilling to do even basic missions without him.

"Are we really just gonna sit on our hands and do nothing? What's that gonna accomplish?" Numbuh 4 asked.

"Nothing," Numbuh 5 replied, hanging her head in despair.

"You're one of the best operatives I've ever met, Numbuh 5! You would've been the first to kick those Delightful Children back to their stupid mansion!"

"We threw everything we had against the Delightful Children, and now look at us. Look at our treehouse! We can't beat them."

"Sure, they've beaten us plenty of times before, but we still never gave up!"

"Yeah, except we had Numbuh 1."

"Will you quit saying that? Will you all quit saying that? I'm sick of it."

"What do you expect me to do? Force Numbuh 1 back here and order him to lead us? Even if the Kids Next Door somehow don't catch us doing missions, Numbuh 1 wouldn't want it. We don't even know where he is in the first place. All we can do is nothing."

"...If we're gonna just sit in a box, then I don't need to be here."

Numbuh 4 stood up and walked away. The only one left now was Numbuh 5, who then sunk her head into her hands. Unbeknownst to her, Numbuh 362 was hiding in some rubble some distance away. Numbuh 362 wondered whether she should simply walk away or talk with Numbuh 5. On one hand, she didn't want Numbuh 5 to worry about a KND operative coming into the treehouse. Numbuh 5's goal seemingly was to stay as low as possible until they could find a way to do something about Numbuh 1. Making a sudden approach could be a very bad idea, especially since Numbuh 5 probably knew who she was. On the other hand, she needed answers, as she still didn't fully understand what happened to Numbuh 1, or what the Delightful Children had to do with him. Not only that, global command would become more and more suspicious the more silent Sector V became, especially since they hadn't heard from Sector V in a week. If she could talk to Numbuh 5, maybe she could formulate something.

Grabbing her hat, Numbuh 5 became frustrated and tossed the hat toward the debris. As the hat made contact, Numbuh 362 the sound of a switch clicking. The next thing she knew, the hat inflated in an instant, breaking some wooden planks overlooking where she hid. One of the broken planks landed on her head, and Numbuh 362 grunted in pain. Immediately, she covered her mouth, but it was too late. Numbuh 5 was looking in her direction.

"Who's there?" Numbuh 5 asked.

_Great, she knows I'm here,_ Numbuh 362 thought.

Though Numbuh 5 began inching toward Numbuh 362's position, Numbuh 362 couldn't think of something good to do. She faced her dilemma yet again, weighing her options.

_Show yourself. What if a different operative finds out first?_

_Don't show yourself. Won't she be suspicious?_

_Show yourself._

_Don't show yourself._

_Show yourself._

_Don't show yourself._

_Yes._

_No._

_Yes._

_No._

…

Numbuh 5 was about one foot away when Numbuh 362 emerged from the rubble.

"Wait!" Numbuh 362 said, holding her hand toward Numbuh 5.

Numbuh 5 stopped. For a few moments, neither said a word. Then, Numbuh 5 broke the silence.

"Numbuh 362? What are you doing here?"

END TRANSMISSION

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for reading this chapter! I hope that you enjoyed it. It's been a long time since I last updated (*proceeds to check calendar*), so I hope it's been worth the wait.
> 
> Remember to stay safe, and Happy New Year (I know, it's a bit late, but still)!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Please leave some comments and/or constructive criticism in this work. It would really be appreciated.
> 
> Stay safe and healthy!


End file.
